King’s Crusade: The Police State Gears Up Against Muslim Americans

Photo by RIDZDESIGN
Statesmen and politicians have repeatedly, throughout history, relied on a bogey-man de jour to validate increased state repression and otherwise unacceptable legislation to restrict the rights of citizens. In this case, Rep. Peter King’s own misguided bias, and lack of political wisdom and savvy, may backfire when dealing with the ‘radicalization’ he accuses others of, and seriously impact the lives of all Americans; Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist, etc, alike.

Peter King, former aide to Joe McCarthy (no kidding), who once stood publicly with the IRA (Irish Republican Army) “against British imperialism and colonialism” – something that, by the way, other Republicans like Huckabee charge as a serious problem with Obama since Republicans can’t abide an anti-colonialist President to lead their country that rebelled against British colonialism – seems to have a different set of rules for people who haven’t actually committed, or even supported, terrorist activity but share a tenuous religious or cultural tie with some individuals that have. As long as those individuals are not like individuals who are like Peter King.

If radicalization were actually kings target, why would he target a generalized group of American citizens that simply share a tenuous religious tie (tenuous because such is the tie between the majority of any religious adherents and that religion’s fundamentalist fringe) with a group of fundamentalists who happen to be ranked #11 after the KKK, White Supremacists, Christian Nationalist Fundamentalists, and Domestic Militia organizations, as identified domestic threats to American National security?

Perhaps his own ignorance of the radical and violent teachings within the Christian Bible confuse his ability to understand that he cannot indict an entire group of people based on his literal translation of their religious text. The Bible is just as exclusive, just as misogynistic, and just as Imperialistic as the Qur’an. And, likewise, the majority of those who follow either religion are equally as moderate, compassionate, peaceful and tolerant. Mr. King’s ignorance of both religions, and his bias for one and prejudice against the other, seems to be the driving force behind his crusade.

Unless of course you consider his close ties to, and frequent appearance at events for, and submissions on the website of, AIPAC (the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee) and his recent vocal support of the USA’s unilateral UN veto of a resolution against illegal Israeli settlements and expansion in Palestine. Perhaps there is a deeper motivation behind these hearings for Mr. King. Perhaps the motivation is ethnocentric. Perhaps it is theological. Or, perhaps it is financial and political.

Perhaps it’s as simple as Catholics=OK, Jews=OK, Christians=OK, and Muslims=BAD for Mr. King. He certainly doesn’t come across as a deep thinker. Regardless, the broad and serious impact that will be created by his narrow-minded agenda will reverberate through our society and effect us all.

The absence of any wisdom, reason, or logic in this multi-million dollar inquisition, will, in all likelihood, assist in the ostracization and subsequent vulnerability to radicalization of the people he is accusing of being radicalized. His own campaign to satisfy a paranoid and ignorant constituency may only serve to create the Bogey-man they imagine.

In the end, the only thing that will be accomplished is the division of American society, a public offense to the Muslim community, and justification for the increased implementation of the freedom-suffocating, privacy-violating, rights-stripping, Patriot Act.

America’s WWII internment camps for Japanese Americans, and Germany’s WWII internment camps for the Jewish Germans, should be a stark reminder of where men like Peter King, and his mentor Joe McCarthy, are capable of leading a frightened and misinformed public. We all know that to trade our freedom, and the freedom of our fellow citizens, for the appearance of security, leaves us in a situations where we will neither deserve nor have either.

King’s crusade is not only an affront to the entire Arab and Muslim community in America, it is an affront to all Americans. He doesn’t only offend their freedom and rights but the rights of us all. To conduct a congressional inquisition based on ‘Guilt by Association,’ where he is the one defining that association based, not on ones actions, but, on ones constitutionally protected freedom of religion, is abhorrent.

The Arab and Muslim communities will suffer as the result of King’s actions, and so will the rest of us. Suspicion and mistrust will spread through society like a malignant growth and the mechanisms of state surveillance and control will be amplified to meet the hysteria. King’s mentor, McCarthy, brought us the ‘Red Scare.’ King’s idiocy will bring us the days of the ‘Muslim Terror.’

Nothing good can come of this. We’ve taken a turn down the wrong road and King is driving the bus. As the uprisings throughout the Arab world take notice of this nonsense it will have potentially grave effects on American foreign policy and ability to cooperate with these new democracies as they emerge. Anti-American sentiment over King’s charade will foment anger against those seen as unjust oppressors. Again King may find yet another way to create the bogey-man he fears, and all of it will end up as an excuse for increased surveillance, monitoring, and control of the American people.

6 Responses to King’s Crusade: The Police State Gears Up Against Muslim Americans

+4Mo Maghari March 10, 2011 at 6:31 pm

I am an American Muslim and I am against terrorism. as a muslim, I have the utmost respect for Christianity and Judaism. The question is what terrorism is. It seems we have different standards to what we consider terrorism or justified act of war. There is no doubt that there are many terrorist acts executed by Muslim extremists, thus creating the term Islamic terrorism. Many will quote the Quran to prove the idea of Islamic terrorism.
If some of the quotes in the Quran are the reason why the term Islamic terrorism exists, then should we have a term called Christian and Jewish terrorism? There are many statements in the Bible and Torah that advocated violence and terrorism (No different than the Quran).
If Bin Laden was the reason the term Islamic terrorism was created, then what we will say about Timothy McVeigh’s bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City during 1995 killed 168 people, including 19 children. It showed that extremist Christians can be as deadly as their extremist Islamic counterparts.
On July 1995, Bosnian Serbs killed more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys, as well as the ethnic cleansing of another 25,000–30,000 refugees, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in what is now referred to as the Srebrenica massacre. What was the KKK and what did they do? Should that be called Christian terrorism?
what about the Stern gang or Haganah? ( terrorist Jewish organization).
Israel killed thousands of unarmed civilians regardless if they were men, women or children. Just after the intifada, more than a thousand children below the age of 18 were killed. Many of them were below the age of 13. Would we call that Jewish terrorism?
On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber named the Enola Gay left the island of Tinian for Hiroshima, Japan. The uranium 235 gun-type bomb, named Little Boy, exploded at 8:16 a.m. In an instant 80,000 to 140,000 people were killed and 100,000 more were seriously injured. The blast wave shattered windows for a distance of ten miles and was felt as far away as 37 miles. Hiroshima had disappeared under thick, churning foam of flames and smoke. The co-pilot, Captain Robert Lewis, commented, “My God, what have we done?” The people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not soldiers. They were men, women and mostly innocent children. Why is that not terrorism.
My point is simple. I am against terrorism, but we should use the same standards for terrorism regardless of the source.

yup sure are going down the wrong road when the “muslim american soldier” major hassan shouted allahaacbar while actively shooting unarmed soldiers who were undergoing paperwork processing and even the army chief of staff cant tell the truth that the killing terrorist attack was SOA claiming muslim we sure are going down thr wrong path.
just fyi, if catholics, baptist, lutherin or hindu, buddist, or studiers of zen and the art of motorcycle mechanics called for killing thouse who leave their faith, or stoning homos or adulters I’d call them crazy as hell too.

Rwolf March 16, 2011 at 5:03 am

Will We Be Spied ON And X-Rayed To Death—By Government?

Why does Wal-Mart need (manned) spy towers on mobile strategic platforms when Wal-Mart has cameras on its Super Center Roofs viewing parking lots? One might conclude U.S. Government made possible the spy towers at certain Wal-Marts as a trial run, to condition, intimidate and instill in millions of Americans shoppers—they are being watched. It is problematic that Wal-Mart mobile platforms might in addition to cameras, have infrared, (license plate and face recognition capability) tied to TSA/Homeland Security. If that is the case, one can envision police coming to Wal-Marts to drag off shoppers that—mobile platform-cameras identified having outstanding warrants. Why is U.S. Government hurriedly developing a police state? The Government is now using hundreds of (mobile X-ray vans) to scan without warrants—Citizens driving on roadways, when walking, standing—government and police can now use scanners to peer inside Citizens’ bedrooms.

Is it only the War On Terrorism or is there another reason U.S. Government intends to establish millions of spy cameras on roadways, on public and private property? Meanwhile the Obama Government is ordering more X-ray scanners for airports; soon bus and train stops, the possibilities are endless? TSA has banned Americans flying without explanation; could government next blacklist Americans having access to enter shopping malls or private office buildings, even to see clients; or make it extremely demeaning that he or she visitor must be escorted in and out of non-government property?

One can also envision outspoken Americans and writers considered dissidents or combatants by U.S. Government, subsequently being harassed, constantly questioned by police when driving to work, at checkpoints, when walking, driving around a City—being repeatedly forced to endure invasive pat down searches and x-ray scans. It is frightening to consider that a corrupt U.S. Government or quasi government agency could abuse government X-ray scanners, potentially over expose (targeted Citizens) to radiation—perhaps causing recipients cancer. Imagine the potential of over exposure for “Persons Of Interests” if repeatedly (forced to be scanned) at checkpoints and other locations.